1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to new systems and methods for providing education and entertainment to a plurality of user groups. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for delivering multi faceted educational or entertainment material in a single source usable by a plurality of users.
2. General Background and State of the Art
Providing read along education or entertainment typically involves providing a combination of several components. Specifically, a book and a cassette, or other recording medium, are bundled together for the purpose of providing read along education or entertainment to users. A user purchases the combination and uses both components simultaneously to engage in the read along activity.
In a typical read along scenario, the user listens to a narration played from the cassette or other recording medium and, at the same time, looks at the pages of the companion book. Specifically, the user can read the words in the book while simultaneously hearing the audio narration from the cassette. Of course, the user can also choose to look at pictures in the book, that correspond to the words and the audio narration, instead of actually reading to words. As the narration proceeds, the user turns the pages of the book, such that the text he sees in the book is consistent with the ongoing narration being played back from the cassette. In this manner, he proceeds through a story, reading the text while hearing the coordinated narration of the story, and turning the pages as the story proceeds. Of course, one problem with the method is that the user may alter the timing of the read along scenario by turning the pages at incorrect times in relation to the audio narration. There is no connection between the book and the audio narration to ensure that the user maintains synchronization between them.
There are several problems with such prior art systems and methods for providing read along education and entertainment. One problem involves the difference in the type of products that are packaged together to provide a read along product. A book is very different, in size, shape and form, from a cassette, CD-Rom, or other recording medium. Not only can the different products be difficult to package together, they are cumbersome for a user to maintain as a combination. For example, if both components are not kept together, or if one component becomes lost or unavailable, the read along activity cannot be performed by the user with the remaining component.
These types of prior art also involve manual synchronization of the audio narration with the text. Turning of each page must also be performed manually. For young children who do not yet recognize when the page should be turned, this is a disadvantage.
Another problem with current read along products is difficulty with providing such products in multiple languages. The ability to provide read along products in multiple languages appeals to larger numbers of users who may be able to engage in the read along activity only in certain ones of those languages. However, producing multi-language products is a very cumbersome and expensive process. It requires a separate book and recording medium for each language. Therefore, a consistent product cannot be produced and marketed to areas of different languages; rather, multiple products must be produced and marketed to effectively provide the read along activities to people of those different languages.